1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cell structure for brain damage treatment, a production method thereof, and a brain damage treatment agent. The present invention particularly relates to a cell structure for brain damage treatment in which biocompatible macromolecular blocks are disposed in gaps between cells, a production method thereof, and a brain damage treatment agent.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, regenerative medicine, which regenerates living body tissues and organs having functional disorders or dysfunction, is put into practical use. The regenerative medicine is new medical technology creating a form or a function of a living body tissue that cannot be recovered with only natural healing ability possessed by a living body, which is the same as that of an original tissue, again, using three factors including a cell, a scaffold, and a growth factor. In recent years, treatment using cells is gradually realized. Examples thereof include cartilage treatment using autologous chondrocytes, and cultured epidermis using autologous cells; bone regeneration treatment using mesenchymal stem cells; myocardial cell sheet treatment using myoblasts; cornea regeneration treatment using corneal epithelial sheets; and nerve regeneration treatment. These kinds of new treatment are different from alternative medicine (for example, a bone prosthetic material or hyaluronic acid injection) using an artifact in the related art, and repair and regenerate biological tissues, thereby obtaining a high treatment effect. Actually, products such as cultured epidermis or cultured cartilage using autologous cells have been available on the market.
A cell structure, which contains cells and macromolecular blocks having biocompatibility, and in which the plurality of the above-described macromolecular block are arranged in gaps between the plurality of the above-described cells, is disclosed in WO2011/108517A. In the cell structure disclosed in WO2011/108517A, it is possible to deliver nutrients to the inside of the cell structure from the outside. The cell structure has a sufficient thickness, and cells exist in the structure uniformly. In Example of WO2011/108517A, high cell survival activity is verified using a macromolecular block formed of a recombinant gelatin material or a natural gelatin material. A cell structure for cell transplantation, which contains a macromolecular block having biocompatibility and at least one kind of cell, and in which the plurality of the above-described macromolecular blocks are arranged in the gaps between the plurality of the above-described cells, is disclosed in JP2014-12114A. In Example of JP2014-12114A, angiogenesis is evaluated using the cell structure for cell transplantation.
In addition, it has also been reported that a disease is treated through cell transplantation. For example, a composition including a physiologically active substance and cells is disclosed in JP2005-35945A and the fact that a combination therapy using a hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and vascular endothelial cells is effective for regenerating brain tissue is disclosed in JP2005-35945A. In addition, a neovascularization-inducing agent containing fibrin, an in-vivo degradable polymer, and cells is disclosed in JP2004-143067A. Furthermore, it is disclosed in JP2012-219100A that central nervous system disorder such as cerebral stroke is treated using a cell-containing composition in which bone marrow stromal cells, into which a Notch gene and/or a Notch signal transmission-related gene are/is introduced, are adhered to biocompatible polymers.